The invention relates to a cleaning and disinfecting apparatus, as well as a method, for treating at least one container for human excretions. By way of example, such cleaning and disinfecting apparatuses and methods are used in the hospital or care sector in order to clean containers such as, e.g., bedpans, urine flasks, chamber pots, kidney dishes, washing bowls or other containers which are suitable for holding human or animal excretions, in particular with a volume of at least 100 ml, for example 100-500 ml.
A multiplicity of cleaning apparatuses and cleaning methods for treating containers for human excretions are known. The containers to be cleaned can contain relatively large amounts of liquid or amounts of solid waste, which usually have to be disposed of during the cleaning. Hence, conventional washers are generally not suitable for cleaning such containers. Moreover, such containers can contain infectious wastes or be contaminated in a different way such that disinfection is usually also required in addition to emptying. Such cleaning apparatuses for treating containers for human excretions are accordingly often also referred to as cleaning and disinfecting apparatuses (RDGs). In addition to the aforementioned containers, these are, in principle, also suitable for cleaning other medical objects, as are used, for example, in hospitals or care institutions. However, the goods to be cleaned usually consist of urine flasks, bedpans, kidney dishes, washing bowls or similar containers, the cleaning of which can entail the disposal of relatively large amounts of waste.
An example of a cleaning and disinfecting apparatus is disclosed in DE 103 48 344 A1. In principle, reference can be made to the design of this cleaning and disinfecting apparatus in an exemplary manner in connection with this disclosure, wherein the depicted cleaning and disinfecting apparatus can be complemented according to this disclosure. However, in principle, other designs are also possible. The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus described in DE 103 48 344 A1 contains a device for re-cooling goods to be cleaned. Here, the goods to be cleaned are rinsed within a chamber, which is followed by a pre-cleaning washing step. The cleaning of goods to be cleaned contained in the chamber is then completed using water containing a rinse-aid addition, prior to a step of disinfecting the goods to be cleaned in the chamber by introducing steam into this chamber. Air is forced into the chamber filled with steam when the door is closed, as result of which precipitation of steam within the chamber and cooling and drying of the goods to be cleaned contained in the chamber are brought about.
Thus, a program usually runs in a cleaning and disinfecting apparatus for treating the goods to be cleaned, which program is usually stored in a control of the apparatus. After loading the RDG, a user usually selects a cleaning program and starts the latter, conventionally by actuating a corresponding pushbutton, for example on a membrane keyboard. Here, the user must generally make a subjective decision as to what kind and/or degree of soiling are present on the objects to be cleaned.
In principle, the field of dishwasher technology has disclosed dishwashers which identify the load of the dishwasher. By way of example, DE 10 2009 023 252 A1 describes a dishwasher which has a dish recording means for recording the dishes introduced into the washing container. DE 100 48 081 A1 describes a method for identifying the load of goods to be washed and/or a degree of soiling of the goods to be washed in a program-controlled dishwasher. DE 10 2005 014 353 A1 describes a conveyor washer with a sensor device for goods to be washed for detecting empty compartments in a plurality of compartments of a conveying device. US 2002/0020435 A1 describes a conveyor dishwasher with a plurality of identification sensors for identifying different types of goods to be washed in the conveyor dishwasher.
EP 2 425 805 A1, published after the priority date of the present application, has disclosed a method for cleaning goods to be washed, in particular bedpans, urine flasks or the like. Here, use is made of a program-controlled washing means, which identifies loading of the washing means with goods to be washed. A cleaning program is selected depending on the detected load state. By way of example, the load state of the washing means is captured using an optical detection means. Infrared light-emitting diodes and infrared sensors are described as an example of an optical detection means, by means of which a so-called light curtain is formed.
DE 10 2008 017 597 A1 describes a dishwasher in the form of a program automaton. Here, a detection device for the goods to be washed is used, by means of which the kind of the goods to be washed, which are to be treated, is recorded. A program control means is designed to select automatically a treatment program which is or can be set in advance, depending on the recorded kind of the goods to be washed, which are to be treated. By way of example, the detector means can comprise a camera.
WO 2011/048575 A2 likewise discloses methods and devices for cleaning objects. Here, inter alia, a system is described, which records images of the goods to be cleaned by means of a camera, with a control of the system accordingly selecting a program.
EP 1 192 893 A2 discloses a method for identifying the load of a program-controlled dishwasher with goods to be washed. While the goods to be washed are introduced, inter alia, a profile of light interruptions in a light curtain are recorded and the size and/or the kind of the goods to be washed is deduced therefrom such that a subsequent washing program can be modified or selected in a targeted manner.
DE 101 62 505 A1 discloses a device for washing goods to be washed in a dishwasher. In the process, use is made of at least two spraying means for specific regions of a dish rack and these are actuated individually.
In general, optical sensors, in particular cameras, have previously not been conventional in the field of cleaning and disinfecting apparatuses. Nevertheless, the above-described problem of identifying the kind and degree of soiling when cleaning containers for holding human excretions is significantly more severe in this field compared to dishwasher technology due to the different boundary conditions.
This is due, in particular, to the fact that the containers, as described above, can hold relatively large amounts of waste, for example several 100 ml, which have to be disposed of. Furthermore, as described above, infectious contamination may occur, or else contamination which has very tough deposit buildups. By way of example, a distinction has to be made whether a bedpan is merely filled with urine or whether the bedpan is soiled with balm residues in addition to the human excretions. The latter can require the selection of a specific program, for example with the addition of a balm cleaner. Furthermore, the user must generally make a decision as to what program is selected dependent on the type of vessel. By way of example, loading with merely urine flasks can require the selection of a specific program.
Practice in hospitals and geriatric care institutions usually discloses keyboards which are simple to operate, which typically merely offer few selection options. By way of example, it is possible to select programs for light, average or strong contamination. Furthermore, embodiments are also known in which the program has already been pre-selected and in which the program starts, e.g., automatically after closing the door to the cleaning chamber. The door is generally closed manually or else automatically, for example by activation of a contactless sensor, a pushbutton or a foot pedal.
Known cleaning and disinfecting apparatuses therefore have a number of technical challenges or even disadvantages in practice. Thus, wrong decisions may occur, in particular as a result of the manual program selection which is influenced by subjectivity, which can then, for example, result in insufficient cleaning and/or disinfection of the containers. This incorrect operation can lead to an increased risk of infection. On the other hand, in order to avoid such incorrect operation, the user may be tempted in practice always to select the strongest program in order to obtain a good cleaning and disinfecting result in any case. However, in practice this causes in many cases an unnecessarily high use of resources such as, e.g., water, electricity and possibly process chemicals. Furthermore, strong cleaning programs also require longer program running times, which may lead to capacity bottlenecks in the respective operating unit, for example a care station, if the wrong program is continuously selected.
A further disadvantage of known apparatuses and methods can, in particular, consist of the risk of introducing containers into the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus for which the apparatus has not been designed. This can also lead to insufficient cleaning and/or disinfection. If containers for which the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus has not been designed are introduced into the latter, there can furthermore be malfunctions or even damage. Thus, for example, the containers could jam in the apparatus or fall into an outflow opening of a cleaning chamber. Both cases can lead to malfunctions or else to damage to the apparatus.